Bulgaria offers support for Ukraine recovery after war

Bulgaria has pledged long-term support for the reconstruction of Ukraine and urged intensified international efforts to bring the conflict to an end, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.

Speaking at a conference on Ukraine’s post-war recovery in the Polish city of Gdańsk, Radev said the international community must mobilise financial and political resources to halt hostilities, describing peace as the essential precondition for rebuilding the country, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“The international community must mobilise efforts and resources to end the war in Ukraine, which is the most important prerequisite for reconstruction,” Radev said, according to remarks released by his office.

He stressed that any settlement should be based on the UN Charter and principles of international law, adding that diplomacy should remain the primary tool for achieving a “sustainable peace”.

Bulgaria, he noted, has a particular interest in Ukraine’s stability due to its sizeable ethnic Bulgarian community in the country, estimated at more than 250,000 people. That connection, he said, reinforces Sofia’s stake in both peace and recovery efforts.

Radev also said reconstruction efforts would be important not only for Ukraine’s economy but also for Europe’s broader security, stability and competitiveness.

“Bulgaria is ready in the long term to support this process both diplomatically and through post-war reconstruction, drawing on the expertise of Bulgarian companies and regional cooperation initiatives,” he said.

Earlier, Ukraine secured fresh international pledges worth hundreds of millions of euros to support the restoration of its damaged energy infrastructure, as partners gathered in Poland for a major recovery conference.

The commitments were announced at the Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine in Gdańsk, which also hosted a meeting of the G7+ Energy Coordination Group, bringing together 20 countries, the European Union and six international organisations.

Ukrainian officials said at least €375 million in new support has been pledged, alongside additional contributions to the country’s Energy Support Fund.

First Deputy Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the latest package includes $175 million from the United States, €137 million from Sweden, €77 million from Norway, €4 million from Lithuania, €2.125 million from Estonia and €550,000 from Iceland.

Several European states are also supplying equipment from decommissioned power plants to speed up repairs. Ukraine estimates its remaining energy needs at over €650 million for repairs, distributed generation and emergency reserves.

By Aghakazim Guliyev